Northwest Faerûn, generally referred to as the North or even the Savage North,[2] was a region of Faerûn full of untamed wilderness, wracked with difficult winter weather, and home of many hardy folks and fearsome beasts. In spite of this reputation, the North was home to three of the greatest cities in all of Faerûn: Neverwinter, Jewel of the North, Waterdeep, the City of Splendors, and Silverymoon, Gem of the North.[3][1][4]
The inhabitants of areas further south, in West Faerûn, described this area in condescension as "the Savage North," which was a reference to the Savage Frontier and a time when its inhabitants were less civilized.[2]
Look into the fire and see in its spark—
My eye
Watching over you.Geography[]
The North, savage as it was, was difficult to truly delimit, especially when its boundaries so often shifted depending on the person studying them. Most, however, would agree that its northern end followed the Spine of the World and the frozen wastes past it, while reaching as far south as Daggerford, its southern border drawn east from there to the Sea of Swords and west, through the Mines of Dekanter, to the great Anauroch desert.[1] The nearby folk of the Dalelands and Cormyr generally accepted this notion, simplifying it to say that the High Moor was the North's southermost edge.[3]
The broadest definition for the North came from faraway Calimport, whose merchants amalgamated anything beyond their neighboring Tethyr into a singular "Barbaric" North, but even those cities who called the region home rarely agreed. Though the Silvaeren people of Silverymoon considered their northern walls its southernmost border, for example, the Gem of the North was distinctly northern territory to the Waterdhavians of the City of Splendors, whom used their own walls as the North's south-western bounds.[1] Volo himself, in his Guide to the North, agreed with the latter definition, choosing to draw the line at Waterdeep itself.[6]
Flora & Fauna[]
The woodlands of the North were primarily made up of broad-leafed deciduous trees, such as birches, elms, maples, and oaks. In the northernmost reaches of the region, these deciduous trees gave way to coniferous ones, such as larches, ponderosa pines, spruces, tamaracks, and white pines.[7]
Geographical Features[]
Northwest Faerûn circa 1489 DR.
Just as defining the North proved difficult, attempts to divide it into smaller and more distinct regions were, in themselves, often inconsistent. The well-traveled and all-too-famous Volothamp, in the aforementioned guide, himself split it into a set of five: The Dessarin Valley, along the matching River Dessarin; the Sword Coast upwards of Waterdeep; the Frozenfar; and the rest, the Interior, making up the area surrounding Silverymoon and fellow Sundabar. Given the purposes of his work, Volo chose to exclude the High Forest from his categorization, though acknowledged that its size alone made it a worthy candidate.[8]
The Frozenfar[]
This region encompassed the lands north of the Spine of the World mountains, including the coastal region of the Cold Run, Icewind Dale and its Ten Towns, the island of the Ice Peak and the Sea of Moving Ice. While it was sparsely populated, it was the home of hale frontiersman, desperate runaways and the fierce Reghed barbarians.[9]
- Spine of the World: While these wide-reaching mountains comprised a significant part of the Frozenfar, they extended far east beyond its borders, to the Ice Spires in the Silver Marches.[10]
High Forest[]
This vast, densely-forested region was located just a bit ways west of the Anauroch desert.[3] These ancient woodlands were home to the largest of trees in the region and the most abundant population of wild creatures. They were also home to various types of fey,[7] elves, centaurs, and many mysteries.[3] At its heart were the towering Star Mounts, and the Unicorn Run which flowed from within.[11]
Savage Frontier[]
The great untamed lands that attracted outdoorsmen and pioneers alike encompassed the Fallen Lands in the east;[12] the Delimbiyr Vale,[13] that stretched along the eastern and southern borders of the High Forest; and the Dessarin Valley, that rest along its western trees. It included the great River Dessarin, and the great many frontier settlements that popped up in the fertile lands that surrounded.[14][10]
Silver Marches[]
A band of adventurers braving the plains of the North.
This confederation, formally known as Luruar,[15] was formed from a defensive alliance of humans, elves, and dwarves in the mountainous area to the north of the High Forest. At its center was the city of Silverymoon, a place of learning and magic.[16] It politically included the cities of Sundabar,[17] Everlund, Mithral Hall, Citadel Adbar,[18] and geographically sat atop the drow city of Menzoberranzan and the Fardrimm region of the Underdark.[4]
Sword Coast North[]
The wild coast north of Waterdeep contained the cities of Luskan and Neverwinter, as well as the dangerous Mere of Dead Men, the Sword Mountains, and the enchanted Neverwinter Woods.[19] The High Road ran along the length of the coast from Luskan to far south of Waterdeep.[20] This barely tamed-region was protected by a partnership of the northern cities and towns known as the Lords' Alliance.[21]
Utter North[]
While this vast expanse continued well beyond northwest Faerûn,[12] the icy wastes north of the Spine of the World comprised the western section of the Endless Ice Sea,[22] the unexplored Reghed Glacier,[23][24] and the Valley of Khedrun, along with a few scattered landmarks.[25]
Appendix[]
Map Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 slade, et al. (April 1996). “The Wilderness”. In James Butler ed. The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier (TSR, Inc.), p. 4. ISBN 0-7869-0391-0.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Campaign Guide”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), p. 25. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 165. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ed Greenwood and Jason Carl (July 2002). Silver Marches. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 54. ISBN 0-7869-2835-2.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1993). Volo's Guide to the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 1. ISBN 1-5607-6678-6.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1993). Volo's Guide to the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 6. ISBN 1-5607-6678-6.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Jennell Jaquays (1988). The Savage Frontier. (TSR, Inc), p. 15. ISBN 0-88038-593-6.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1993). Volo's Guide to the North. (TSR, Inc), pp. 6–7. ISBN 1-5607-6678-6.
- ↑ slade, et al. (April 1996). “The Wilderness”. In James Butler ed. The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier (TSR, Inc.), p. 39. ISBN 0-7869-0391-0.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 169. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 166. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 slade, et al. (April 1996). “The Wilderness”. In James Butler ed. The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier (TSR, Inc.), p. 62. ISBN 0-7869-0391-0.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1993). Volo's Guide to the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 189. ISBN 1-5607-6678-6.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 168. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ Steve Kenson, et al. (November 2015). Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide. Edited by Kim Mohan. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 54. ISBN 978-0-7869-6580-9.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 171. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 173. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 172. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 176. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1993). Volo's Guide to the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 144. ISBN 1-5607-6678-6.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 275. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ slade, et al. (April 1996). “The Wilderness”. In James Butler ed. The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier (TSR, Inc.), p. 43. ISBN 0-7869-0391-0.
- ↑ Christopher Perkins, et al. (September 2016). Storm King's Thunder. Edited by Kim Mohan, Michele Carter. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 74. ISBN 978-0-7869-6600-4.
- ↑ R.A. Salvatore, Jeffrey Ludwig, Matthew Sernett, James Wyatt (November 19, 2013). “Campaign Book”. Legacy of the Crystal Shard (Wizards of the Coast), p. 41. ISBN 978-0-7869-6464-2.
- ↑ slade, et al. (April 1996). “The Wilderness”. In James Butler ed. The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier (TSR, Inc.), p. 45. ISBN 0-7869-0391-0.